Gravy train ends for wild animals

Eve Mitchell, SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER

Published 4:00 am, Friday, November 28, 1997

1997-11-28 04:00:00 PDT SAN MATEO COUNTY -- SAN MATEO - An assortment of ducks, herons and pelicans that fill up on bread and seed tossed by bird lovers at Coyote Point Marina may want to fly south in December. Permanently.

That's when a new county ordinance kicks in that bans the feeding of wild birds and animals in San Mateo County's 14 parks. The ordinance also prohibits park visitors from approaching or disturbing wildlife.

Violating the ordinance, which goes into effect Thursday, is a misdemeanor that could result in a maximum $500 fine or up to a year in county jail, according to Patrick Sanchez, director of parks and recreation.

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The law, Sanchez said, is "for the protection of wildlife. We have wildlife in natural habitats. They need to find food that's produced naturally."

But it's unlikely the new law will turn bird feeders into jailbirds or force them to fork over fines for feeding the furry and the feathered. That's because rangers will focus on educating park-goers not to feed wildlife and issue citations only to blatant violators who ignore warnings, according to Sanchez.

He said signs will be posted in the parks.

When the county ban goes into effect, critters will have one less place for human handouts.

Handing out food to chipmunks, squirrels, birds and raccoons not only makes them dependent on people but tends to attract non-native wildlife to park habitats, Sanchez said.

At Coyote Point Marina, bird feeding has recently attracted non-native pelicans, herons and various duck species, he said. Bird droppings on the dock area and boats also pose a health hazard, he said.

One day last week, a flock of mallards and pigeons converged on a spot on the lawn across from the yacht club in anticipation of being fed. Just a wave of a hand got them all excited.

"The problem (with people feeding birds) is that it domesticates them. They get too friendly. They sit out on the lawn instead of hiding in the bushes," said Shary Whitney, who takes bike rides through the park with her husband, Arthur.

The Whitneys think the ordinance is needed.

Wildlife "needs to learn how to survive in the wild. It's better for them," said Shary Whitney.

Vern Renner keeps roosting sea gulls off his sailboat with fluttering green ties attached to a line between the mast and stern.

"It seems to work," said Renner, who has come to terms with the birds and the people who feed them.

Feeding the birds at the marina is a favorite pastime for parents and their children, he said.

So instead of an outright ban on feeding wildlife, Renner suggested an alternative solution: "I don't like the birds doing their thing but maybe they could have a designated area (in the park) for feeding where the birds could congregate and stay out of here."

However, the good life may in the long run be bad for the birds, he added.

"The birds become dependent on the food. They don't fend for themselves," Renner said.

Ranger worked for ordinance&lt;

And that's why the ordinance is needed, said Ranger Dennis Hanley, who was instrumental in getting the ordinance passed by county supervisors in November.

"The intent is to protect the animals from the public and also stop the feeding and to protect the heritage of the parks," Hanley said. "It was a lot more than just casual feeding of animals."

Ongoing education has made park visitors more aware that it's better for the animals and birds not to feed them, said Hanley.

He recalls a few years ago when things were really getting out of hand in San Pedro Valley Park in Pacifica.

"People were bringing in apples for deer and bringing in birdseed by the bag load. They'd approach animals too, try to get up close and pet them like they were Bambi."

Some people even tried to lure coyotes with tidbits, Hanley said.

At Huddart and Memorial parks in the southern part of the county, raccoons and foxes were the big attraction for campers who liked to feed them table scraps.

One person feeding the animals is not going to have much impact, said Hanley, but when hundreds of people do so it becomes a real problem.

In the three years she's worked at the Coyote Point Marina's harbor-master office, Karen Wight has seen a steady stream of people who feed the birds. One regular visitor has shown up with a bag of bagels that he tosses out on the water from the shore, she said.

"They call their birds to come and feed them," said Wight, adding that hundreds of birds have flocked to the feedings.&lt;

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